That Galadriel training session was really great, and exactly the sort of thing I love to see in things like this. It had a real Princess Bride feel with her commenting on her opponents’ skills while smoothly handling them.

Given that we have another fantasy series with rape/incest vibes at the moment, I’m happy enough that they leave that aspect out of this one.

“Excessive travelogues and overused, overlong songs”

Then did the sons of Tar-Minyatur ride tall and fell and fair
upon the ships of Belegaer with sails blond as their hair
But first they had to lade aboard each single colt and filly
Using some sort of horse pulley harness that all looked rather silly

I’m getting some major “DENNIS! There’s some lovely filth down ‘ere!” vibes from this shot.

Sure, I’m not denying that all kinds of skulduggery and manoeuvring went on, which was ably depicted in the original Game of Thrones series. There are lots of examples of ‘hunting accidents’, ‘death in battle’ and ‘death in childbirth’ as you say.

“It's just tits and dragons" -- Ian McShane

Indeed - it was a huge plot point in the northern rebellion, when Robb Stark’s decision to execute the two Karstarks after they killed the Lannister prisoner led to the rebellion fracturing. 

That does seem like by far the most likely option to me, too, thinking about it. It’d have to be embarrassing nepotism rather than “normal” nepotism, though, meaning mistress/unacknowledged lovechild/kid who isn’t even in college etc.

I’m generally pro-Thrones, but I did have to roll my eyes at the depictions of violence in the show. Sure, Medieval Britain was more violent than it currently is, but straight-up murder at a Royal wedding or at a Royal tournament just wouldn’t happen, any more than it would today.

It doesn’t help that all of those socially maladjusted weirdos keep bleating about how “realistic” this world is, mostly because it’s darker and edgier than other fantasy worlds.

Idk, maybe I’m just sick of all this. It’s supposed to be Mature Fantasy for Grown-Ups but no matter how much of a cultural phenomenon it’s become it all feels like something made for the least socially adjusted guy in your high school’s D&D club.

My bet is that the last shot of the last episode of the season is Celebrimbor picking up and looking through the first forged ring.
Because it’s cliché and they’re definitely going to do it.

Simple. You write a movie script, then hire a ghostwriter to write the book version, then create a fake author with literally zero online presence.  

Its also worth remembering that the show doesn’t have the rights to the Silmarillion, so anything expanded out in that or Unfinished Tales is, with a few negotiated exceptions, likely going to have to be changed or not follow the same path.

I realized Isildur’s sister looks AND sounds like a porn parody actress for Emma Watson, and now all her scenes are wrecked.

weren’t all of them human kings and ringbearers who got corrupted by Sauron’s magic through their rings?

I guess I’m alone in hating this episode. How stupid were they to bone in public, how obvious was it that the plot twist was coming (Archer: phrasing!)? This series is just a soulless money grab.

Who’s the hero here, exactly?  Every character so far has been intentionally awful.

Well, at least New AV Club is continuing the Old AV Club tradition of hyping some random movie to the hilt only to ultimately give it a C-.